Allegations About Childhood Data in the 1948 book, Sexual Behavior
in the Human Male

Allegations against Alfred Kinsey and his research on children's sexual
responses, as reported in Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, were
first made in 1981 by Dr. Judith Reisman. She subsequently enlarged on
these ideas in a book written jointly with Edward Eichel and published
in 1990 (Kinsey, Sex, and Fraud).

When The Kinsey Institute responded,
Reisman filed suit in 1991 against The Kinsey Institute, then director
June Reinisch, and Indiana University, alleging defamation of character
and slander. In September 1993, Reisman's lawyer withdrew from the case,
and in June 1994 the court dismissed Reisman's case with prejudice (which
means that Reisman is prohibited from refiling the suit).

Below is a reiteration of some of the accusations against Kinsey and his research from Dr. Reisman and others, and the
Institute's response:

The act of encouraging pedophiles to rape innocent babies and toddlers
in the names of "science" offends. The act of protecting them
from prosecution offends. The act of falsifying research findings which,
in turn, open the floodgates for the sexual abuse of children, offends.
(from Dr. Laura Schlesinger's website)

This would be a cause of great concern if it were true. It is not true. Kinsey did not carry out any experiments
on children, nor did he hire, collaborate, or persuade people to carry
out experiments on children. He did not falsify research findings and
he in no way condoned any sexual abuse.

Kinsey did talk to thousands
of people about their sex lives, in confidence. Some of the behaviors that these people
disclosed, including abuse of children, were illegal. In fact, many
sexual behaviors, even those between married adults, were illegal in
the 1940's and 1950's. Without confidentiality, it would have been impossible
to investigate the very private lives of Americans then, and even now.

Where did Kinsey's information about children's sexual responses come
from?

Kinsey clearly stated in his male volume the sources of
information about children's sexual responses. The bulk of this information
was obtained from adults recalling their own childhoods. Some was from
parents who had observed their children, some from teachers who had observed
children interacting or behaving sexually, and Kinsey stated that there
were nine men who he had interviewed who had sexual experiences with children
who had told him about how the children had responded and reacted. We
believe that one of those men was the source of the data listed in the
book.

The 'Esther White' allegations: In a British documentary, from 1998, a woman says she was sexually abused by
her father and grandfather, and that her father justified it as doing
research for Alfred Kinsey by filling out questionnaires, and claimed he was paid by Kinsey for abusing his daughter.

We have no reason to doubt that this woman was sexually
abused. People may have used Kinsey's name to justify any sorts of behavior, but that is beyond the control of the researchers.

Kinsey did not ask people to fill out questionnaires or forms. There was no experimentation, and no one was 'recruited' to 'participate,' and certainly not to molest anyone. There is absolutely no evidence to support any of these claims. The research consisted of interviewing people about their sexual lives and relationships.

It is possible that this woman's father or grandfather wrote to Kinsey,
as many people did, but he never encouraged any such behavior. Following that documentary, we checked through
Kinsey's correspondence and could not find any that would match this story.

Kinsey used a Nazi SS officer from Germany as one of his key contributors.

In Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, Kinsey invited people
to write to him about their sex lives. In 1955, a German wrote to him
and told him about his sexual experiences with children. Kinsey, in his
reply, was non-judgmental, as usual. He did however point out how strongly
society condemned such behavior. Kinsey never made use of the information
from this man. He also had no idea that this man had been a Nazi ten years
earlier.... To suggest that Kinsey had something to do with Nazi torture
of children is a bizarre fabrication.

Kinsey Institute has hidden its files and has threatened to destroy
them for fear of being sued by victims of the Kinsey research.

No files have been destroyed.

The people in Kinsey's studies were not representative of normal, average Americans, they were disproportionately prostitutes and criminals. Kinsey used improper sampling procedures and/or his sample was illegitimate.

Actually, the majority of the male sample was educated (beyond high school education), white males. For specific information on the sample used in the surveys and subsequent books, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953), see www.kinseyinstitute.org/about/images/Intro%20to%20Female%20vol.pdf.

Kinsey's colleague, Gebhard, acknowledged they were coordinating with nursery school directors and operators and parents and grandparents of these kids to obtain the so-called research. He admitted they knowingly were collaborating with these people as they molested the children, and were making use of the fruit of the poisonous tree in Kinsey's research.

That is absolutely false. Kinsey did interview teachers and parents about the children, but in no way encouraged nor tolerated any such behavior.

Allegations and Controversy, 1995-1998

More Controversy About Childhood DataSoon after John Bancroft, M.D., assumed the directorship of The Kinsey
Institute in 1995, he was called upon to respond to an allegation by the
Family Research Council (FRC) about data on pre-adolescent orgasm that
the late Dr. Alfred Kinsey had included 50 years ago in Chapter 5, "Early
Sexual Growth and Activity," of Sexual Behavior in the Human Male
(W.B. Saunders, 1948).

In the fall of 1995, Rep. Steve Stockman, Galveston, Texas, took up the
FRC allegation, circulating a letter on the floor of the U.S. House of
Representatives, in which he asked for support for a bill he had introduced
to investigate Dr. Kinsey's research. Stockman alleged that this data
was derived from federally funded sexual molestation of children (the
so-called "Children of Table 34"). Although Stockman's staff were invited
to put any questions to The Kinsey Institute and Indiana University, they
declined. Stockman held a press conference December 7, 1995, calling for
a congressional hearing. No hearing was held and the bill died. Stockman
was defeated in the 1996 election.

In 1997, Concerned Women for America referred to this allegation in a
press release with a renewed call for a Congressional investigation. In
January 1998, Indiana State Representative Woody Burton submitted a House
Concurrent Resolution to the Indiana General Assembly regarding Kinsey.
In August 1998, a British television station produced a program based
heavily on these allegations.

Other public statements on Alfred
Kinsey and controversy issued by The Kinsey Institute and Indiana University